A grassroots fundraising effort by residents in a Somerset town to transform a brownfield site into a major community project—including housing, workspaces, a riverside park, and a lido—has collapsed after local officials struck a deal with a London-based property developer. The £1 million crowdfunded bid, backed by over 1,000 locals, was intended to create what could have been the UK’s largest resident-led regeneration initiative, but the agreement now threatens to derail the vision. The shift from community control to private development raises questions about the future of locally driven urban renewal.
Locals raised £1m for Mayday Saxonvale scheme involving homes and park but Somerset officials agreed deal with London-based real estate companyA bold bid by residents of a progressive town in the English West Country who raised almost £1m to create what could have been the UK’s largest community-led regeneration project is in tatters.More than 1,000 residents of Frome in Somerset had clubbed together with the aim of building homes, workspaces, a riverside park and a lido on a brownfield area in their town centre. Continue reading...
